The [[Family History Library|Family History Library]] has copies of many death records indexes and death records. These records can be found in the Place Search of the [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp Family History Library Catalog] under each of the following approaches:

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The [[Family History Library|Family History Library]] has copies of many death records indexes and death records. These records can be found in the Place Search of the [[Family History Library Catalog Place Search|Family History Library Catalog]] under each of the following approaches:

Birth Records

Birth records might seem like the first place to start your search, but experts recommend looking into death and marriage records first. Birth records are usually the most difficult to find. The first records of birth's and christenings or (baptism dates) were keep in church records. Health departments began keeping birth and death records more recently. In some states, birth records are confidential and my require proof that you are a direct descendant of the person whose record you seek. To write for vital records see Where to Write for Vital Records: Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Divorces[1]

Birth records generally give the child's name, sex, date and place of birth, and the names of the parents. Records of the twentieth century provide additional details, such as the name of the hospital, birthplace of parents, occupation of the parents, marital status of the mother, and the number of other children born to the mother.

If no record was filed at the time of an individual's birth, he may have arranged for a delayed registration of birth by showing proof of his birth as recorded in a Bible, school, census, or church record, or by testimony from a person who witnessed the birth. These registrations generally start in 1937,(Social Security benifits required prove of birth) yet the birth may have occurred many years earlier. The registration is usually in the state where the birth occurred. The Family History Library has acquired copies of many delayed certificates, especially for the Midwestern states.

A corrected record of a birth may be filed if a name was changed or added. Most corrections require affidavits of eyewitnesses or evidence from other official records. The library has microfilm copies of a few of these records.

Information You may find in Birth Records

An address that would lead to the discovery of the family in a census or city directory

Ages of parents

Child’s birth order

Child's gender

Church records for the birth

Date of birth

Family’s home address

Full name of child

Hospital or name a medical attendant

Maiden name for the mother

Names of both parents

Names of the previous generation

Newspaper birth announcement

Occupation of parents

Parents' approximate years of birth

Parents' birthplaces

Place of birth

Race of child

Religious affiliation

Which children belong to which mother in the case of multiple marriages

How Information from Birth Records can Help Research

Dates: Birth date, date for a newspaper announcement that could lead to more information about the family. Gives parents ages to help approximate their years of birth. Places: Birth place, family's address to help in the search for land records, city directories, locate on map and narrow un-indexed censuses. Names: Maiden name of the mother. Parent's and child's complete names. The name of the hospital and doctor or attendant, leads to further information on you ancestor. Name of the family's religious affiliation for further research in Church records. Employer's name would lead to employee records.